Read for What You Need (2 Min Read) | Vol. 146

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April 11, 2025

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss

Read for What You Need
Last week I wrote about “quality inflation,” the idea that growth is required to maintain our standing in any competitive environment. And it takes accelerated growth to win. Reading is probably the most accessible lever for personal and professional growth. With a library card, you can access the wisdom of the ages for free. 

It’s also one of the least used. A 2022 National Endowment of the Arts study reported less than half of Americans reported reading a book the previous year. And that was down 11% from a decade prior. 

My wife Wendy discovered one of her leaders had only read one book the prior year. “Readers are leaders!” she shared. Last year, that same leader read 120 books! In fact, her husband might be a little annoyed having lost his TV buddy. 

Reading comes up all the time in our coaching and training. I even shared a simple system to read 36 books a year. I encourage business people to read fiction all the time. It’s an entertaining, vocabulary-expanding way to learn more about the human condition. In the spirit of fighting quality inflation, here’s a six-step system for reading for self-improvement.

When you commit to reading a book a quarter, that’s just five pages a day. At most, it will take you ten minutes. No matter how busy you are, you have time for five pages. Read with your morning coffee, over your lunch break, or before your evening downtime. Since you’re reading for growth, I recommend taking notes as you go, preferably on something not connected to the Internet. At the end of the book, review your notes and identify ONE thing you can implement to improve. 

Reading matters. What you do with what you read matters more. That’s how you stay ahead of the quality inflation curve. 

One question to ponder in your thinking time: What skill, if improved, would have the greatest impact on your #1 goal this year? 

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan
Co-author of The ONE Thing & The Millionaire Real Estate Agent